The Risk is Minimal
by suzie2b
Summary: Charley and Tully. A broken jeep. A German patrol. Need I say more?


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **The Risk is Minimal**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The 2** **nd** **Armored Division was dug in at a wadi two hundred forty two kilometers into German held territory. The Rat Patrol was to escort volunteer courier Charley Pettigrew there to deliver a package before picking up and returning with another.**

 **Troy and Moffitt walked into the tent where Hitch, Tully, and Charley were waiting for the word that they'd be heading back to base.**

 **Troy handed Charley a packet of documents. "That's what you're taking to Captain Boggs." He looked at Tully. "You're taking her back."**

 **Hitch frowned. "You're not sending them out there alone, are you?"**

 **Troy sighed. "I don't like it either, but I wasn't given a choice in the matter. Major Gleason contacted Major Harold before we got here. There's a situation about fifty miles from here that Gleason wants us to look into. Those documents are too important to drag another fifty miles into enemy territory."**

" **Well, why can't Moffitt go back with Charley and Tully? What if they run into a German patrol?"**

 **Moffitt nodded. "I did mention that very thing, but apparently Major Gleason wants at least three of us on this new assignment. He believes the risk to Charley and Tully to be minimal since our spotters haven't seen much activity in the area in the past couple of weeks."**

 **Tully switched the matchstick to the other side of his mouth. He hated taking the chance where Charley was concerned, but orders were orders. "If we leave now, we should make it over our lines before it gets dark."**

 **Troy shook his head. "Wait until morning. If you end up taking a detour to avoid a patrol, I'd rather you two didn't have to spend the night alone in enemy territory. There's not too much cover out there." He looked at Hitch. "Get your stuff together. We're leaving now."**

 **After dinner, Charley and Tully strolled hand-in-hand back to the tent. They went inside and Tully pulled the flap down. When he turned in the dark, he could just see Charley's shadow collecting blankets off the six cots. "What are you doing?"**

 **Tully could hear the smile in her voice as Charley said, "We've got the tent to ourselves tonight. There's no reason for us to sleep on cots." She piled the blankets into a cozy bed. "Besides, it's been a couple of weeks since we've been able to spend time together … alone."**

 **Tully grinned and sauntered across to where his wife waited. She unbuttoned her blouse and let it fall to the tent floor, then reached up and started on Tully's shirt buttons as he said quietly, "You think of everything." Then he reached around and unfastened her bra.**

 **###########################**

 **Early the next morning, after a quick clean up and breakfast, Charley and Tully were on their way back to base at Ras Tanura. Just as they were getting to the half way point the engine began to sputter badly.**

 **Tully pulled up against the side of a hill and said, "I checked her out before we left and everything was fine." They both got out of the jeep and Tully said, "Can you go up top and keep a look out? I don't want anyone sneaking up on us."**

 **Charley grabbed the binoculars and said playfully, "Aye, aye, captain."**

 **Tully chuckled. "Okay, I'm not a captain and that's navy talk. Do you see any ships around here?"**

 **Charley nodded and pointed at a herd of wild camels ambling passed a ways out from them. She grinned and said, "Ships of the desert."**

 **Tully shook his head with a grin of his own. "Just get up there and keep your head down."**

 **Charley laughed as she started up the hill.**

 **Tully checked the fuel line and found that wasn't the problem. He checked the filters with no luck. He had checked everything he could think of and had just concluded that it was probably the carburetor when he heard Charley making her way quickly down the hill. When she stopped at the jeep, he asked, "What did you see?"**

 **Charley replied, "German column coming from the north … a few miles out yet. Looks like they'll pass by here."**

" **Okay, get in." Tully dropped the hood and latched it. He got in behind the wheel and tried to start the jeep, but it wouldn't turn over. "Damn it!" He tried it again and still the engine wouldn't start. "All right, let's cover the jeep and hide up by those boulders on the hill. Maybe they'll pass by without seeing us."**

 **As they got out and grabbed the machine guns, the hum of an airplane could be heard. They both looked up and saw a small plane as it passed overhead.**

 **Charley shielded her eyes with her hand as she looked up and asked, "What is it?"**

 **Tully replied, "German spotter. He'll no doubt radio our position to that column."**

" **We're in trouble aren't we?"**

" **Yep. No point in covering the jeep. Let's go."**

 **After planting Charley behind a group of boulders, Tully went up to take a look. As he watched the column, he saw them begin to alter direction slightly. They were now heading straight for them and picking up speed. Tully went back to Charley and said, "They know we're here and they're coming this way fast." He indicated the machine gun in her hands. "Ready to use that?"**

 **Charley primed it and nodded. "Ready."**

" **Good girl. We'll just hunker down here and see what happens."**

 **It wasn't a few minutes later when the German scout column appeared around the hill led by a staff car. They stopped about a hundred yards from the jeep. The officer in the car stood on the seat and used a bullhorn to say, "Wir wissen, dass du da bist! Kommen Sie mit Ihren Händen!"**

 **Charley whispered, "They know we're here and they want us to give ourselves up."**

 **Tully carefully peeked around the boulders. "There's a staff car, a halftrack, and a tank. Looks like ten, maybe eleven, soldiers." He set his machine gun for single shot and took careful aim. Two quick shots – the first took out the one manning the machine gun in the halftrack and the second took out the staff car's driver.**

 **Tully pulled back as another man grabbed the machine gun and let go with a volley of gun fire. Bullets ricocheted off the rocks and boulders around them as Tully sheltered Charley in his arms.**

 **When the shooting stopped, the captain with the bullhorn said, "Ich weiß, es gibt nur die zwei von ihnen! Sie sind in der Unterzahl und haben nirgendwo zu gehen!"**

 **Charley translated, "They know there's only two of us. He says we're out numbered and we have nowhere to go."**

 **Tully nodded. "Well, I intend to even things up a bit. Stay put."**

 **He moved to the other side of the boulders they were behind. When he looked around at the Germans, Tully smiled as he noticed they all had their attention on the area where his first shots had come from. He said quietly to himself, "I know that makes them stupid, but do they think I'm stupid enough to try shooting from the same place twice." Tully took aim and got off two more shots – another machine gunner and the halftrack's driver went down.**

 **Tully moved quickly back to Charley, grabbed her hand, and led her to another hiding place. Just as they got down behind another set of boulders, they heard the German captain yell, "Nehmen Ziel und Feuer!"**

 **A second later there was a loud bang and a shell from the tank sailed up into the boulders they'd just left.**

 **Charley whispered, "I think all you're doing is making them angry."**

 **Tully said, "Well, they aren't taking us without a fight."**

" **But you can't take out that tank with a machine gun."**

" **I've killed four. That leaves the captain in the car and three in the halftrack. I'm thinking there are probably three in the tank. If I take out the captain next…"**

 **Tully's words were cut off when a shell hit the hill above them and to the right. Seconds later another hit the hill, only closer this time. Rocks and dirt showered down on them. Charley could hear rocks bounce off Tully's helmet as he tucked her underneath him against the boulders.**

 **He grabbed her hand and said, "We better keep moving."**

 **Another shell hit. A set of boulders above them shattered and collapsed. Tully managed to push Charley out of the way of the cascading rocks just in time.**

 **When the dust cleared, Charley turned around and saw Tully face down and half buried under debris from the shattered boulders. "Oh my God!" She scrambled to his side, her voice quiet as she said, "No no no." Tully was unconscious, but she quickly found a pulse.**

 **As she began to dig Tully out, Charley heard the captain say, "Sind Sie bereit zu kapitulieren?"**

 **Charley said under her breath, "No, we are not ready to surrender."**

" **Wir sind bereit, zu warten!"**

" **Fine … you just sit there and wait then."**

 **Tully moaned as he regained consciousness. "Charley?"**

 **She was pushing pieces of rock off his legs and back. "I'm right here."**

" **You okay?"**

 **Charley grunted as she pushed another large rock away. "Just fine and dandy. Can you move?"**

 **Tully shifted carefully, then said, "I could get out of here, but my right foot is stuck."**

" **Your right foot, huh?" Charley changed positions and started working again.**

 **The captain called with a smugness clearly in his voice, "Vielleicht werden wir getötet haben Sie?"**

 **Charley pulled one last rock away that had Tully's foot wedged. She panted and said, "Nope, camp Pettigrew is still hanging in there."**

" **Sie können nicht für immer dort bleiben! Wir zerstören die Hügel und Sie werden entweder sterben oder erfasst werden!"**

 **Tully grimaced as he pulled himself out from under the rest of the rocks. Charley grabbed her machine gun and moved toward a sheltered place a few feet away. He called out in a low voice, "Charley, what are you doing? Get back here!"**

 **She looked back at him, her eyes hard as she said, "I've had all I can take of his mouth." Charley was able to take a careful look around and spied her target. She leaned out just enough to take aim and fire a burst from the machine gun. She had a satisfied smile on her face as she watched the captain fall out of the staff car. Charley scrambled back to Tully and said, "I think we've heard the last from him."**

 **Tully let out a breath and said, "I wish you wouldn't take chances like that."**

 **Charley didn't comment, but asked, "Are you all right?"**

" **I think my right foot's broken." Tully looked at her and her eyes widened. "But we have to keep moving."**

 **Charley slung her machine gun over her shoulder and helped Tully to stand as he grabbed his own gun. "Okay, where too?"**

 **Tully balanced with the majority of his weight on his left foot. "I'm guessing they're trying to follow us with the tank fire. Let's head back the way we came."**

 **Sure enough, as Charley helped Tully limp back over the rough terrain, a shell exploded almost on top of where they had just been. Then another hit further on.**

 **They stopped and hunkered down again, out of sight for the moment, close to their original hiding place. Looking out at the Germans, Tully and Charley watched two of the soldiers put the captain's body back into the staff car.**

 **Charley looked at her watch. "We're overdue at base. Think they'll come looking for us?"**

 **Tully grimaced at the throbbing in his foot. "Depends on how important those documents are you're carrying."**

" **I totally forgot about the package." Charley took it out of her satchel and looked around. She quickly moved to a fractured boulder and pushed it inside. She returned to Tully and shrugged. "Just in case."**

 **Tully gave her a hint of a smile and cupped her cheek in his hand. He gently brushed his thumb over a dirty streak on her face and said, "If we're lucky, they'll run out of fire power and give up on us. Maybe sooner now that their captain's dead." Another shell from the tank hit the hillside further away than the last. "If we don't give ourselves away, they won't know we've backtracked. At least not for a while."**

 **Charley peeked out and searched the hillside that led down to the jeep. "What if I make my way down to the jeep while they're preoccupied with where they think we are? I could use the radio…"**

 **Tully shook his head, almost angry that she would even consider it. "No way! Don't even think about doing that!"**

" **But…"**

" **Only if we run out of options."**

 **One of the tank operators opened the hatch and stuck his head out to yell, "Ist es wert es zu bleiben? Wir sollten Sie den Jeep und lassen Sie sie zu sterben."**

 **Tully looked at Charley. "What did he say?"**

" **He's wondering if it's worth it to stay. His suggestion is to disable the jeep and leave us to die."**

 **Tully sighed. "The damn jeep's already disabled."**

 **A soldier in the halftrack yelled back, "Der Kapitän wollte wissen, wenn Sie etwas Wichtiges. Wir sollten die Durchführung seiner Aufträge."**

 **Charley translated, "He says the captain wanted to know if we've got anything important with us. He thinks they should stay."**

 **Tully dragged himself to a better vantage point. He took aim and fired, hitting the tank operator in the head. "Okay, we're nearly even. But now they know where we are." He saw the tank's cannon begin to swing around. "Let's move."**

 **As Charley helped Tully up, they heard a 50 caliber machine gun go to work as a jeep sped around from behind the hill. They ducked down again and saw Troy and Hitch barrel onto the scene. From above them, they heard a machine gun. Both Tully and Charley swung around, bringing their own guns up.**

 **Tully quickly pushed Charley's machine gun down. "It's Moffitt!"**

 **The tank started to take aim at the hillside where Moffitt stood, but as the jeep swung passed, Troy tossed a grenade into the opened hatch.**

 **After the grenade exploded there was an eerie silence. Tully looked up as Moffitt headed towards them, saying, "Are you two all right?"**

 **Tully sat up. "We are now. How'd you find us?"**

" **We could hear that tank fire a mile away."**

 **Charley was helping Tully to his feet as Moffitt got to them. He caught Tully under one arm as she said, "His foot might be broken."**

 **Troy and Hitch finished checking to see if any of the German's had survived and were now hurrying up to meet them. When they got there, he said, "We were on our way back to base when we got a message saying you two were overdue and Captain Boggs wanted us to try to find you. What happened?"**

 **Tully said, "Jeep broke down. Might be the carburetor. I was trying to get it running when we were seen by a German spotter, who sent that column our way."**

 **Troy nodded and saw the private grimace. "How bad is it?"**

 **Moffitt said, "Possible broken foot."**

 **Troy watched as Charley walked quickly away. "Where's she going?"**

 **Tully turned slightly to look at her. "She's going to get her package. She hid it just in case we got captured."**

" **Smart girl. Hitch, help Moffitt get Tully down to the jeeps. And keep your eyes open in case they called for backup. I'll wait for Charley."**

 **Hitch put an arm around Tully's waist. "Right sarge."**

 **Troy walked Charley down to the jeeps and she sat down on the sand next to Tully as Moffitt worked to get his foot stabilized for travel. He handed Charley a canteen as he said to Hitch, "I'll take over on watch. I need you to check out that jeep. Tully said it might be the carburetor. We just need it to run long enough to get back to base."**

 **Hitch nodded. "I'll see what I can do."**

 **Moffitt pulled the laces out of Tully's right boot. "I'm going to pull it off. It's probably going to hurt like the dickens."**

 **Tully sighed. "Surprise, surprise." Charley took his hand and he looked at her. "Probably not a good idea. I don't want to hurt you."**

 **Charley smiled. "Concentrate on** _ **not**_ **breaking my hand. It'll help take you mind off your foot … at least a little."**

 **As Moffitt started to pull the boot off, Tully gritted his teeth and squeezed Charley's hand. She winced and said calmly, "Concentrate on my hand, not your foot."**

 **Tully's grip loosened and he looked at her. "Sorry."**

 **Charley smiled slightly. "You're doing fine."**

 **###########################**

 **Charley hurried into medical after delivering the packet of documents to Captain Boggs and giving him a verbal report on what had happened. "How is he?"**

 **Moffitt smiled. "Two bones in his right foot are broken. They've taken him into surgery so they can knock him out to set them." He looked at her as she rubbed her eyes. "Are you all right, Charley?"**

 **She sighed and sat in the nearest chair. "Just tired." Charley looked around. "Where's Sam?"**

" **He's given our report to Major Gleason." When she nodded distractedly, Moffitt said, "Hitch, why don't you take Charley home? She can get cleaned up and come back."**

 **Charley said, "I'd like to wait."**

" **It'll be awhile before Tully's out of surgery and awake. Go ahead. You'll feel better."**

" **You'll stay here?"**

 **Moffitt smiled. "I promise I won't budge."**

 **Hitch gently took Charley by the arm and led her out to the jeep.**

 **###########################**

 **Tully stayed overnight at the hospital and Charley returned to his side the next morning with breakfast. Tully grinned when she walked in.**

 **Charley smiled as she set the tray on his lap and then kissed him. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"**

 **Tully said, "Pretty good. There's only been a little pain. Haven't needed any morphine. Doc says I can go home as soon as I prove I can eat and keep it down."**

" **Good. I missed you last night."**

" **Get any sleep?"**

 **Charley smiled. "Oh, I slept all night just fine. I was too tired to do anything else. Just wish I could've been here with you."**

 **Tully swallowed a mouthful of scrambled eggs. "Well, to be honest I wish you'd been here too. But I felt better knowing you were getting some rest in a bed instead of sitting on that hard old chair."**

 **A few hours later Hitch stopped in the alley next to the café and helped Tully up the stairs. He grinned as he heard his friend curse under his breath. "Couldn't talk the doctor out of the crutches this time, could you?"**

 **Tully sighed as he reached the top and said, "Doc Baker was real stubborn about it this time. I'm supposed to stay off my foot. In six weeks I think I'll burn 'em."**

 **Charley was waiting just inside the door and smiled. "Yeah, maybe we'll turn it into a weenie roast." Then she made a face when she remembered she didn't like hotdogs. "Eww!"**

 **Tully and Hitch both laughed. Then Hitch asked, "You got him from here, Charley?"**

" **I think I can handle him. Thanks for the ride, Hitch."**

 **Tully said, "Yeah, thanks. I'm glad I didn't have to walk home."**

 **Hitch chuckled. "Not a problem. Let me know if you need anything."**

 **As he headed down the stairs, Charley escorted Tully to their apartment. Inside she helped him get undressed down to his boxers and comfortable reclining on the bed with his foot elevated on a pillow. She started to move away from the bed when Tully pulled her down into a long kiss. When they came up for air, Charley smiled and said, "The doctor said you're to take it easy."**

 **Tully grinned. "I don't plan on doing anything strenuous." He started to unbutton Charley's blouse. "In fact, I was sort of hoping you would do most of the work."**


End file.
